Using microcontact printing to fabricate microcoils on capillaries for high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance on nanoliter volumes

Abstract

This letter describes a method for producing conducting microcoils for high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy on nanoliter volumes. This technique uses microcontact printing and electroplating to form coils on microcapillaries. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra collected using these microcoils, have linewidths less than 1 Hz for model compounds and a limit of detection (signal-to-noise ratio=3) for ethylbenzene of 2.6 nmol in 13 min.